


Wintergreen

by abnels



Category: Bleach
Genre: Blood, Canon Divergent, Character Death, F/M, Karin and Yuzu are older, hitsukarin is the main pairing with ichiruki a close second, like post-highschool/last year of high school ish, not sure who to pair yuzu with yet if anyone, probably smut later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:58:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5133565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abnels/pseuds/abnels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well? Are you going to answer my question,” Toushiro snapped impatiently. “What the hell are you doing in my office, Kurosaki?”</p><p>“I died.”</p><p>>>Karin & Yuzu shinigami longfic. Main hitsukarin, ichiruki also important. Canon divergent, but built on canon pillars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> Japanese is not my first language, nor is it my second. If I have made any errors, let me know! I am also not utd with the manga, but I do my best to stay informed via the wiki. I am going to make it as canon-compliant as possible, and hopefully you'll let me know if I mess something up. Expect lots of time between updates, I am a busy person and it takes lots of work to write a longfic. ALSO, in my very first draft, Tatsuki died as well. I may have missed some of this in editing, please let me know if you catch something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as suggested by a lovely commenter, i must warn you that there are somewhat graphic descriptions of death in this chapter. i will denote this with a ### just above the paragraph where it begins and put another ### when it's safe to start reading again, so you can skip it if you aren't comfortable with that sort of thing. it's not a spoiler really, but the main point between the ###s is that karin and yuzu die. +++ denotes a break in the story, which isn't significant enough to justify the end of a chapter.

What she remembered most was the feeling of drowning in the open air.

Kurosaki Karin and Yuzu walked next to each other, slowly making their way home. They had gone to see their brother’s friend Arisawa Tatsuki’s latest karate match. She had, of course, won. They had bid their friend farewell after the fight, since she would have to shower and speak with her coaches and teammates. 

Karin entwined her fingers at the nape of her neck, walking with her arms in the air, listening to her twin’s rambling with experienced patience. Yuzu had been chattering about that noodle recipe for days, and Karin had finally agreed that she would try it when Yuzu pointed out that the calories would help out her soccer training.

The sky was littered with thin, feathery clouds, a deep red-orange with the setting sun. It would rain tomorrow, a thought that Karin pushed from her mind as soon as it had entered. Rain had never been a good sign.

And then, just as her twin Yuzu had skipped ahead, calling back at her to hurry up, it had appeared.

(###)Thick, pale-green arms extended towards her sister, the most important person in her world, and wrapped around her torso. Yuzu had screamed as it squeezed, pulverizing her in its bone-crushing grasp. A Hollow.

“YUZU!” Karin shouted. The monster turned towards her then, grinning down with its horrible, oval shaped mask. It opened its mouth, revealing another set of teeth within the inky black expanse, and roared. Karin covered her ears, terrified.

The Hollow threw Yuzu’s body to the ground impossibly fast, cracking the pavement with the impact. 

Karin rushed forward. She couldn’t see her sister through the dust in the air, but she was desperate to distract the monster from her sister. “HEY, UGLY!” she yelled, waving her arms at the monster. It regarded her with mild interest, crouching down towards her. 

She drew herself into a defensive position, ducking as it swiped at her, throwing a powerful kick to the back of its passing arm. It howled in anger, drawing its arm back towards its body.

Karin realized she was shaking. How had she not sensed it? Now she could feel it, the horrible chord its presence struck with her being. She had sensed the reiatsus of several other Hollows that were in the town now, but they were far away, so she hadn’t been too worried, because she could sense the spiritual pressures of shinigami as well. She knew very well that the soul reapers could handle them. She’d seen it first hand. Hollow attacks had become common in Karakura Town since the war-an increased number of people with an increased amount of spiritual power had attracted them. But she had never been caught off guard like this before now; she’d always known when a Hollow was coming. She’d usually had the time to dial Urahara, and let him know that one was appearing-that was, _if_ he didn’t already know. On those occasions, he’d droned on and on about new products, which Karin didn’t have time for, as she was generally sprinting down the streets to find Yuzu, to make sure she was safe. 

Yuzu, her responsibility.

Yuzu, now a spirit, standing thirty feet in front of her and staring down at her own dead body. Karin was alone.

“Delicious,” crowed the Hollow, finally speaking. “I smell a delicious snack waiting for me to eat it. A little girl! Ahhh, my favorite. They always taste so sweet, screaming!” It stepped towards Karin. “And then,” it glanced back to Yuzu, “dessert!”

Her stomach dropped. It wasn’t going to leave her sister alone, even after it had murdered her? She clenched her fist.

“Hey,” Karin said, lifting her eyes to glare at it. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“What?!” The Hollow bent over with laughter. Karin took a defiant step forward. “You’re weak, little girl. You’re weak, and your friends have died because of it. And you will die for the same reason.” 

Karin yelled in anger, running forward. What she wouldn’t give to have her soccer ball with her right now. She supposed kicking the hollow would have to do.

The hollow lowered its arm to her level, clenching its fist. Long, inky black spikes shot forward from beneath its forearm to meet her. They were too fast to dodge, and Karin spared a moment to register what a cheap shot it was, attacking her without warning like that.

And then with impossible speed, they struck, lancing her through her stomach. Pain blossomed throughout her midsection, and she could feel hot blood leaving her body. The other end of the spike had lodged in the wall along the path beside her, leaving her hanging, limp, skewered against the concrete. The Hollow advanced, and was now looming over her. It pressed its mask to the top of her head, inhaling deeply at the roots of her long black hair. She could smell its putrid breath when it spoke again.

“So sweet, I’ll pull you apart and savor every last bite!” Its voice was wavering, giddy. Karin was petrified, frozen with terror. She was going to die. What about her family? “I can smell your fear. I’ll be able to taste it, too. Did you know that? Did you know that we can relish in your agony? Learn.” It opened its mouth, sick saliva dripping hot and wet onto her face. Karin couldn’t even scream. The pain in her midsection had robbed her of that pitiful ability.

(###)“HOWL, ZABIMARU!” There was a flash of black and red in front of her, and the Hollow disintegrated into tiny black bits, floating up into the sky above. Her vision faded, and Karin felt herself falling.

+++ 

When she opened her eyes, she was immediately aware that she was being carried over someone’s shoulder. She caught a glimpse of bright orange hair out of the corner of her eye. Her brother. Ichigo.

Karin opened her mouth to call his name, but was immediately overwhelmed by the heaviness of the air around her. As if it were a solid rather than a gas. Karin panicked. She was suffocating to the sound of a clink-clink-clink with each step Ichigo took as he ran. 

The sound belonged to a set of metal links dangling from her chest. Her soul chain, she knew from Urahara’s tutelage, and it was broken. 

A whimper to her left made her realized that someone was carrying her twin near them. Karin forced herself to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help her be able to breathe, and not being able to breathe wouldn’t help her comfort her sister, who obviously needed it. 

It took her a long time to fully recover. Ichigo made his way through the town, but Karin wasn’t paying much attention to anything but the pavement passing below her. He moved impossibly fast, and she was pretty sure that she would have gotten sick if she had been looking around. She heard a door open ahead of her, but the sound wasn’t the familiar click-creak of the door to her home. Where were they?

When he finally set her down, she discovered a familiar face had carried Yuzu back, now unconscious in his arms. Abarai Renji, one of her brother’s fellow shinigami.

“Ichi-nii,” Karin asked, “is Yuzu alright?” Her voice wavered.

“Aa,” Ichigo answered, running a hand through his orange hair. “She’ll be just fine. You have a stronger reiatsu than she does. This is harder on her soul.”

Karin glanced around, realizing that they hadn’t gone back to the family clinic, which explained why the door had sounded strange to her moments ago. They were in a room with wooden walls, the paneling styled in a traditional way. One of the doors slid open, revealing a blonde, unshaven man in a green and white hat. Karin knew him well. Urahara Kisuke, the guy she had been visiting for months in order to get charms that would help her _avoid_ the attention of hollows. To protect the people around her. 

So much for that.

“Kurosaki-san!” he called out to Ichigo, as if there was nothing unsettling about the room’s occupants. “What brings you here~?” Suddenly a tanned fist met his face, and he crashed to the floor. A woman with long, purple hair and a grave expression walked in the room, stepping on the back of Urahara’s head as she entered. Urahara let out a strangled sort of yell.

“Ichigo,” she said with a nod. 

“Yoruichi-san,” he greeted her, a vein pulsing in his forehead as he glared down at the shop-owner.

“What happened to them?”

It was Renji who answered, still holding Yuzu, who had begun to stir. 

“Some Hollow bastard found ‘em. Musta’ been takin’ advantage of the distraction on the other side of town.”

Yuzu whimpered again. Renji carefully set her down on the floor next to Karin.

“Ichigo,” came her small voice, shaking with nerves. “What’s going on?”

Karin reached her hand out and found Yuzu’s, squeezing it gently. She knew that her sister was strong in other ways, but that she was scared right now. She saw Ichigo’s jaw tighten. No doubt he was blaming himself for this. She’d have to smack some sense into him later.

“What do we do?” he asked, directing his question at Urahara, who was still laying on the floor. He sprang up immediately, looking around with a glint in his eye that Karin had seen before. It was a look that meant he was puzzling something out in his head, something that entertained the scientist within him.

“Since their soul chains have been cut, there isn’t any returning to normal life for them.” Urahara withdrew a fan from his pocket, holding it up in front of his face. Yoruichi leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “So, really, if they stay in the human world, they’ll eventually become hollows themselves. Certainly you already knew that though, Kurosaki-san.”

Renji made an angry face, but Ichigo had already crossed the room and grabbed Urahara by the front of his robe, shaking him.

“And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Do you expect me to just accept that kind of bullshit?!”

Urahara began smacking Ichigo on the head with his closed fan while he flopped around in the boy’s grasp. Yuzu had started crying softly, her head on Karin’s shoulder, which caused Yoruichi to push off of the wall towards the two fighting men, a truly terrifying expression on her face.

“Kisuke,” she snapped. Ichigo and Urahara parted immediately, although Ichigo’s posture suggested a little bit of reluctance at being forced to stop hitting the shopkeeper.

“Unless,” Urahara said, pausing dramatically. He continued with haste when Yoruichi took another step towards him. “Unless they were to pass into Soul Society.”

“Through Konso?” Renji asked, raising a tattooed eyebrow.

“Correct, Abarai-kun! But there’s no guarantee they’d retain all of their memories, and it would be very difficult to find them in Rukongai.”

“So then what the hell are we supposed to do?” Ichigo leaned over Urahara, who waved his hands in the air as if he was conducting the air. He made no indication that he had noticed Ichigo, who had fixed a burning glare in the shopkeeper’s direction. Karin had to hand it to the guy; he was pretty committed to his performance.

“There _is_ another way. Of course, I’m not sure it’s legal…”

“So what?” Ichigo crossed his arms. Karin rolled her eyes. It was so typical of him, she thought. He’d go to any lengths to protect the people he loved, even if it cost him. He had no regard for himself in those situations, a trait that Karin both admired and considered to be recklessly stupid. Sometimes, it was hard to tell the difference. 

“I had a feeling you’d take that attitude about it, Kurosaki-kun.” Urahara smiled. “If you’re willing to take a risk, there’s always the Senkaimon.”

Renji raised his eyebrows. “That would work?” 

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t. It’s essentially the same ending through different means.” Yoruichi had leaned back against the wall again.

Suddenly, the door across the room crashed open. That… was going to need to be replaced. Ichigo turned around to see his father, Kurosaki Isshin rush forward and scoop Yuzu into his arms. Yuzu let out a soft sob, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her close. With one arm, he reached down and ruffled Karin’s hair.

“Knock it off, Dad,” Karin grumbled, although she was secretly glad for the comfort. He was wearing his black shihakusho, with its silver guard draped over his shoulder. It was just another reminder to Karin that her father didn’t belong in the living world. And she was quickly realizing that she didn’t, either. Not anymore.

How was she supposed to feel about any of this? 

As if he knew what she was thinking, Isshin withdrew his hand from her hair, crouching down in front of her. His voice was soft as he spoke so that only she would hear him. “Give it time, Karin. It will be okay. I promise.”

_Suddenly she was five again, and it was raining. Three weeks since their mother had passed, and the house felt cold and empty without her. Yuzu was crying softly on the couch in the living room, doing her best to contain her grief. It wouldn’t be long before she’d resolve herself to filling the gaps their mother left behind, cooking and cleaning and caring so intensely for the rest of her family._

_Karin had holed herself up in their room, sitting on her bed in the weak light coming in from the window. She watched the rain splash against the glass, running down the pane in little rivulets. The world was a washed-out grey. Just like her._

_Everyone else was so sad, and she didn’t know how to feel. It had been such a sudden change, such a shift in her world, everything felt like it was up in the air, and she had no idea how it would settle. She simply felt broken and disoriented. Like she was drowning._

_She missed her mother so bad she thought she’d die from the pain of it._

_There was a soft knock at her door, and the knob turned. Isshin stood in the doorway, looking just as lost as she felt. Karin glanced up at him, but quickly returned her gaze to the window. He had been crying, a thought that made her uncomfortable. Misaki’s death had shattered her naïve image of him. She could no longer think of him as a man with unwavering strength. She never ought to have done._

_“Karin?” he called softly from the doorway. When she didn’t answer, he crossed the floor and sat on the edge of her bed, watching the rain fall with her. After a few quiet minutes of patter-plat-patter, he spoke._

_“Give it time, Karin. It will be okay. I promise.”_

He had been right then, and Karin gave a small nod in response. _She_ had to be the strong one. For him, for Ichigo, for Yuzu. For everyone. 

Isshin pulled Yuzu into a hug so tight that she looked uncomfortable.

“Idiot, you’re crushing her!” Ichigo strode forward and pried their father’s arms from around Yuzu, who began to scold both of them for fighting when the pair began exchanging blows. After a minute, she gave up with a sigh, turning to give Karin an exasperated look.

Karin snorted, but her laughter soon turned into a gasp as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down at her soul chain, and let out a startled cry as she saw the last link squirming, unwinding and sinking tiny teeth to the link above it.

Ichigo was next to her in a flash. 

“What is it?” he asked, voice laced with concern. Then, he saw. “Renji, the Senkaimon, now.” It was an order. “Karin, stay calm, ne?”

Karin’s hands shook as agonizing pain blossomed throughout her ribcage. She clenched her jaw, trying not to yell. It was disturbing, the way the metal was curling around itself, devouring her remaining links. The pain made her body curl in on itself like a dried leaf. Sweat beaded around her forehead.

“Interesting. Her Hollowfication is already beginning. Much faster than yours, it seems, Ichigo-kun,” Urahara muttered, his eyebrows raised and the manic glint back in his eyes. “You had better hurry.”

“Ichi-nii-“ Karin gasped. “What’s happening. To me?”

Renji drew his sword, a movement that immediately alarmed her. Were they going to kill her? She wasn’t becoming a monster, was she? She’d rather die.

But her fears were proven to be baseless as Renji thrust his sword into the air, turning it like a handle. A pair of doors had opened up in the spot he had placed it, sliding open of their own accord. Several black butterflies floated through from the blinding white.

“Jigokuchõ,” Ichigo said, seeing Yuzu’s timid curiosity. “Hell Butterflies. They guide us to the other side, among other things.” Ichigo slipped an arm under Karin’s knees and behind her back.

“I don’t need you to-“ Karin started, but doubled over in pain before she could finish. Ichigo held her closer.

“Aa, I know you don’t, Karin.” He looked to Urahara. “Sure this’ll work?”

“I have absolutely no idea!” Urahara gave him a gleeful smile before hiding behind his fan again. Ichigo made a face, and it seemed like he was about to start yelling at Urahara again, but Karin groaned, and he recovered himself. He wasn’t going to waste any time.

“Let’s go,” he said, nodding to Renji and Isshin, who had Yuzu in his own arms.

Renji entered the door behind the Jigokuchõs, Ichigo and Isshin following right behind him. The gates slid shut behind them, and they were surrounded by nothing but light, save for the butterflies. 

They stopped walking forward as another set of doors appeared in front of them, and slowly glided open, mist pouring forward into the daylight on the other side.

Ichigo crossed through the doors behind Renji. Karin’s pain stopped as suddenly as it had come, the metal links glowing bright yellow. Warmth spread throughout her soul, pulsing forth from her chest, replacing her agony with a soothing sensation. The chain seemed to break apart into small particles of golden energy that floated up and disappeared in the daylight. The links were gone. She took a deep breath, finally feeling her lungs fill to their full capacity. And when she looked down, she was whole.

She had to admit… dying was kind of weird.

Karin pushed against Ichigo’s chest, forcing him to let her down. She wasn’t going to let him carry her around any more than was necessary. Isshin had let Yuzu down as well, but was still holding her hand.

She looked around. There were surrounded by white concrete buildings as far as she could see in every direction. In the distance there were a series of tall, white towers, and a hill with a deep crevice through the top. The sky was a beautiful blue, with fluffy white clouds drifting towards them from one side of the horizon. It wouldn’t rain here tomorrow, Karin thought, and the idea gave her comfort.

Yuzu came to stand next to Karin, linking their hands together as two men with long staffs approached them. They wore long robes, and a portion of cream-colored cloth obscured their lower faces.

“Kurosaki Isshin, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Abarai Renji-fukotaichou have been summoned to meet with the Soutaichou immediately. You will be escorted by Kuchiki-taichou of the Sixth Squad and Ukitake-taichou of the Thirteenth Squad. Resistance is punishable by death.” The guards tapped the bases of their staffs on the stone beneath their feet in unison, the sound a note of low finality echoing between the buildings around them. As they spoke, Ukitake Joshiro and Kuchiki Byakuya appeared, standing a ways ahead of them. 

“Honestly,” Ichigo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance. “Renji, do you have a place these two can stay until we get back?”

Renji looked absolutely bewildered for a moment, and almost embarrassed. He opened his mouth to answer, when a different voice called out.

“Oh?!” Matsumoto Rangiku called, landing on the ground next to them. Her orange hair swayed in the breeze, though it didn’t quite reach her shoulders. “Is that any way to treat guests, Abarai-kun?” She raised her eyebrows at him, and Renji looked away, completely flustered. “I’ll take care of them, Ichigo!”

Ichigo sighed. “Arigatou, Rangiku-san.” He, his father, and Renji followed the two captains towards the white towers in the distance.

Yuzu was staring at Matsumoto with apparent confusion. “Wait, weren’t you… in Ichigo’s class at one point? Back in Karakura Town?”

“So was Renji,” Matsumoto pointed out. “And Yumichika and Rukia and a few others, by my count.“

“Oh! I guess I hadn’t realized…” Yuzu held her hand up to her chest, where her Chain of Fate had been minutes ago.

“It’s alright,” Matsumoto said calmly, smiling at her. She, of all people, understood what it felt like to be lost. And Yuzu had just been through so much. “Follow me!” 

She took Yuzu’s hand and started leading them forward, pointing to different buildings in the area and rambling on about what they were and who she knew that worked in them. It sounded like gossip to Karin, who had lagged behind them, barely hiding a grimace. She wondered about her sister, who had never known about Ichigo being a shinigami, who had never had to face Hollows and lost Souls in her daily life, thanks to the rest of the family keeping it all a secret from her. To protect her, Karin reminded herself. And in the end, it had only come back to hurt her worse than the others. Completely in the dark, dead… Karin kicked a rock down the road as she walked.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through tall wooden gates with a large kanji ten painted on them. Tall walls stretched out on either side, enclosing the Tenth Squad’s headquarters. Karin found herself glancing around, impressed with the vastness of Seireitei. Rangiku led them past a group of shinigami who were practicing in one of the yards, calling out to them as they passed. They responded, waving, and most of them bowed to her. 

They entered a building, walking down a long hallway to a door on the left. The room appeared do be some sort of an office, long and spacious, with books lining the walls and a desk across the room facing the door. Large piles of papers were stacked on its surface. Karin didn’t envy the person who was going to have to go through those. There was also a light green couch to her left. 

Matsumoto leaned down to whisper something to Yuzu, who grinned and nodded, whispering back with a giggle. Karin frowned at the pair of them.

“I’m going to show Yuzu to the bathroom,” Matsumoto said to the other two. 

“Well, if you’re going-,” Karin said, taking a step to follow her. But she was cut off immediately.

“NO!” Yuzu and Matsumoto shouted in unison, holding their hands up. 

“That is, there aren’t enough toilets!” Rangiku amended quickly, waving her hands.

“I can just wait outside then,” Karin said, taking another step forward. Yuzu shook her head furiously.

“Really, it’s no trouble! Just wait here!” The pair rushed off before Karin could protest further.

“Girls,” she grumbled, flopping onto the couch. 

The window, she noticed, was wide open, allowing a cool breeze to flow into the room. A few birds chirped in a nearby tree, and the sound of people sparring with bokken drifted in. It was comforting, and brought her a sense of peace. Whoever owned this office had good taste. Maybe dying hadn’t been a bad thing for her, after all. She suspected that she would be safer, really. Hollows didn’t attack people here like they did in the human world, right? She’d have to ask. Her mind drifted towards Yuzu, her caring sister whom she’d sworn to protect. Guilt coiled in the pit of her stomach. She had just stood there while-. She sighed. It was no use getting worked up over right now, when there was nothing she could do about it. But Karin knew then that she would never forgive herself for being unable to protect Yuzu.

She settled her arm over her eyes, taking deep, even breaths. Whatever Yuzu and Matsumoto were up to, it wasn’t something she was going to worry about. She let her mind clear, pushing away all of the negative thoughts from before. Later. She would worry about all of that later. The room was warm and quiet, and she soon dozed off.

“What the hell are you doing in my office,” said a low voice. Karin’s eyes snapped open. Hitsugaya Toushiro had entered the room, his teal eyes narrowed at her. She hadn’t seen him in ages, but after what had happened to her today, he was a welcome sight. His white hair was hanging looser than before, and he was wearing a rather rough-looking green scarf. It made him look older, although, Karin supposed, she looked older now too. Somehow that thought gave her comfort. 

Karin groaned and sat up, frowning at him. “Is that any way to treat your captain, Toushiro?” Of course, she was referring to their soccer team, which she had led when they were younger, and she mentally kicked herself when she remembered his rank as a shinigami.

“I don’t know, you tell me! _I’m_ the one who’s an actual captain, idiot.” Toushiro’s arms were crossed, and he leaned against the doorframe, his white haori shifting around his ankles in the breeze coming from the window.

Karin set her chin on her hand, her elbow on the arm of the couch, and fixed him with an annoyed stare.

“Well? Are you going to answer my question,” Toushiro snapped impatiently. “What the hell are you doing in my office, Kurosaki?”

“I _died_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback feeds me <3


	2. Settling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, let me know if i missed anything while editing! does anyone know how to center text with html? i'd like to make my line breaks a little more... whatever. you can comment here, or message me on my tumblr, which is at abnels.tumblr.com . 
> 
> important info: this fic is post-aizen, pre-1000-year-blood-war. karin and yuzu look about how they look post timeskip, but i imagine their hair to be a little longer, since they're about 19 when they died. so everyone in this fic appears the way they appear post timeskip, unless otherwise stated. hope that clears everything up!
> 
> happy reading!

Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryuusai stood at the end of the long, empty chamber in which captain meetings were held. He seemed much more tired than usual as he tapped his cane for silence-not that there was any need. Byakuya and Jushiro had both wordlessly taken their places in line. Isshin and Ichigo were both standing opposite him with identical expressions of foreboding. Renji stood behind them, his hands clasped behind his back. Yamamoto cleared his throat.

“Abarai-fukutaichou. Kurosaki Ichigo. Shiba Isshin. Explain yourselves.”

Ichigo sighed. “More of the same, Gramps. Hollows of high level show up all at once, probably ‘cause of me, and…” He trailed off, clenching his fist.

Isshin picked up where he had left off. “We weren’t prepared. There were more this time than there were before. Some were strong enough to hide their reiatsus. It was almost as if they’d coordinated the attack.” 

The Captain-Commander frowned, the lines in his face more pronounced than ever.

They had much to discuss.

 

+++

 

Toushiro had frozen in place as the words left Karin’s mouth. She had died? His stomach dropped. A sudden vision flashed through his mind, one of a large Hollow’s fist rushing through the air to a prone Karin. She had been younger then, with shorter hair and less of an edge to her personality. There had been a moment then when he had found himself terrified that she would be crushed to a pulp in front of his very eyes. He had acted then, acted without even thinking. Toushiro had found himself wanting to protect her, and suddenly understood why Kuchiki Rukia had put herself in the position she had years ago when it was Ichigo’s life on the line. Some people you meet just mean more than others. And he hadn’t been there to save her this time. It bothered him more than he would ever willingly admit.

He realized his mouth was hanging open slightly and he shoved these thoughts away. It wasn’t something a person with his position should be thinking about, anyway. People died, that was just the way of things. Still…

Crossing the room without glancing at her, he took a seat at his desk and made himself look busy filling out papers. Where the hell was Matsumoto, and why hadn’t she done them already? 

As if she could read his thoughts, Karin spoke up. “Don’t you have other people to do the paperwork for you, Toushiro?” She had covered her face with her arm again, laying back down on the couch. 

“If I did, do you think I’d be doing them?” There was no way he would ever admit to Karin that his own fukutaichou didn’t follow orders half the time. He kept scribbling away in silence, signing approvals without really reading what he was approving. Five minutes later, he was losing patience with the pile in front of him. He sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“Toushiro?”

“What is it?” His gaze had wandered to the yard outside his window, where a few of the members of his division were sitting in the shade, taking their breaks.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

“What do you mean, ‘us’?” Toushiro glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Me… and Yuzu.” Karin’s voice held a bitter edge.

He looked back out the window. So her sister had been killed as well? He knew this was probably bothering her; like Ichigo, she considered others’ safety her responsibility. But he also knew that if she wanted to talk about it, she’d be the one to bring it up.

In the past, he might have answered vaguely-indifferently, even. He decided against it this time.

“There are plenty of well-off districts in Rukongai. It’s safe to assume that, given your father’s status-a member of the Shiba clan and a former captain of the Gotei 13-that you’ll be able to live comfortably there. Life in Rukongai is surprisingly normal. Some districts have it bad, due to poverty and crime, but you can expect to end up in a peaceful district like most other souls, and-“ He trailed off, feeling her eyes on him. When Toushiro looked over at her, he realized she was glaring. “Wh-what?!” He felt his face grow hot in confusion. “What the hell is with that look?”

“Do you seriously think that’s the kind of afterlife I’m interested in? I want to become a shinigami. Like Ichi-nii.”

Toushiro stared at her. There he was, going on and on about some life that, now that he thought about it, was completely _not_ Karin. She’d been a fighter the entire time he had known her, even putting herself between him and a Hollow at one point. He mentally kicked himself. But she also deserved a warning, and the thought of Karin running towards danger made him uncomfortable. She could be reckless, just like her brother.

“Are you sure? It’s not all glamour, obviously.” He gestured at the pile of papers on his desk.

“Don’t be stupid, how do you think I got through school, by kicking around a soccer ball? I _worked_ , dumbass.” Karin relaxed, though, and moved to sit up on the couch. “How do you become one, anyway?”

“You enroll in the Shino Academy. Coincidentally, entrance exams start next week.” Toushiro set his chin on his hand, resting his elbow on the desk. The timing was lucky, really.

“Entrance exams?” She groaned.

“And plenty of schooling. Take it seriously. It takes a few years to become a fully trained Shinigami and graduate. And then you have to join a squad, and slowly work your way up the ranks… And it’s no walk in the park once you’re a Shinigami either. Think of your brother. Are you willing to put your life on the line for the protection of any soul? Of Soul Society? Would you die for a stranger?”

Karin’s head snapped towards him. “Is that a serious question?”

“Of course it’s a serious question. Would you?”

She stood, glaring at him. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d said wrong, but something had struck a nerve.

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” 

“Am not.”

“Are too!” Karin raised her voice in anger. “Don’t you remember-“

“Taaaaichouuuu,” Matsumoto interrupted from the doorway. Toushiro fixed her with a frosty glare. She knew he was busy, so what the hell was her deal, barging in in the middle of things? Yuzu stood behind her, looking a bit awkward. “Isshin-san is here, and he says he’d like to talk to you!”

 

+++

 

Ichigo had left the Soutaichou’s meeting looking distinctly disgruntled. Renji, too, seemed to be preoccupied by his own thoughts. They left the first division together, walking in silence. Isshin had gone ahead.

They found that someone was waiting for them at the end of the road, someone short and petite and very familiar. Ichigo smiled, he had known it would only be a matter of time before she came to find them, to find out for herself whether or not the rumors were true.

“Yo, Rukia.”

“Ichigo.” 

Renji looked between them for a moment, before running a hand through his hair. “I gotta get going,” he said, setting a hand on his zanpakuto. “Division ain’t gonna run itself.” 

“See ya, Renji,” Ichigo nodded. Rukia watched as he flash-stepped away.

“What happened, Ichigo?” She turned to walk beside him as he continued walking.

Ichigo clenched his fist. “A hollow raid on Karakura. Should’ve been there. Karin and Yuzu…” He stopped suddenly, throwing a fist into the wall beside them. 

Rukia frowned. “What about them? What happened, Ichigo?”

“They died, Rukia.”

Her eyes widened, shock written across her expression. “Their soul chains?”

“Cut. They’re here now, in Seireitei, but. Damn it.” He pressed his forehead against the wall, shutting his eyes to the world. “The whole point was to protect them! That’s what started all of this, to keep them safe. I didn’t involve them because they were supposed to get normal lives, Rukia. They’re barely out of high school, so- OUCH! What the hell was that for?!”

Ichigo was glaring at Rukia, who was drawing her fist back to her side after clobbering him over the head. (It was only thanks to the fact that he had been leaning against the wall that she could reach that high.) 

“Will you listen to yourself, idiot? What do you think Karin would do if she overheard you saying any of this?”

Ichigo rubbed his head and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed. “She’d probably punch me and call me an idiot. But Yuzu-”

“But Yuzu what?! Do you think she’d appreciate you talking about her like she’s some sort of weakling?”

“No, but Rukia-“

“You’re being stupid! From the moments you were born, the three of you have never been anything even close to normal. Don’t act like you’re the one who is at fault here, because that’s just stupid. Even before I awakened your powers, your sisters were at risk because of the powers they themselves possess. Get over yourself, Ichigo. Besides, isn’t it better that they’re here now? The Soutaichou was being increasingly restrictive about your presence in the real world, wasn’t he? Now you don’t have to leave them behind.”

Ichigo stared at her. All of it made sense, even though he hated to admit it. He still should have been there, and it wasn’t something he was going to take lightly. But Rukia was right. And speaking of the old man…

“Rukia, about that. Gramps… The Captain-Commander I mean.” Rukia raised her eyebrows at that. Ichigo had never corrected himself over official titles before. “Well, we just got called to a meeting with him and.” Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck.

“What did he say?”

“He asked Renji and I to become Captains.”

 

+++

 

Yuzu and Karin had been ushered by Matsumoto into a room down the hall, one clearly designated for guests. There was a long table on the far end, and several chairs. Two couches and a coffee table were between the door and the table. Karin was sitting on a couch, her head propped up on her arm while Matsumoto and Yuzu chattered at the table. 

Karin was glad that Matsumoto seemed to be able to cheer her sister up. Karin herself had never been particularly good at that part; even though she was always looking out for Yuzu, she was too unemotional and blunt to ever have been comforting. Their dad usually did a better job.

She wondered to herself, what exactly her sister would do. She supposed that Yuzu wouldn’t be interested in becoming a shinigami… her sister was strong in other ways, but she’d never been one to get into a physical fight. Karin found it hard to even imagine Yuzu wielding a sword. But she also doubted that Yuzu would be happy living like she had before, what with her siblings away from home. Even when it was only Ichigo gone, it had made her twin sad and worried. Karin wasn’t even sure _she’d_ be comfortable making such a big change without her sister. They’d hit so many milestones in their lives, and they’d always done so together. It was strange to consider ending that trend. Their father would deal with it, Ichigo wouldn’t be happy, but he’d understand. But Yuzu would be sad. And that worried Karin.

It was bizarre to see her father walking around the Soul Society so naturally. Now that she had seen it, she was sure he had always belonged here, and found it absurd that he had ever left in the first place. Although, for her mother, she was sure he would have done anything.

Her mind drifted to her conversation with Toushiro. He _had_ made a point, that her decision to become a shinigami couldn’t be one taken lightly. She would definitely end up risking her life at some point or another. But his question of whether or not she would die for a stranger was downright insulting. Hadn’t she tried to stop him going after a hollow years ago, before she even knew who he was? Before she knew _what_ he was? Hadn’t she already proven to him that she was willing to die for a complete stranger? Back then, he had been some random kid who was amazing at soccer, but not much more than that. Karin wondered if he’d forgotten everything from then, but she didn’t care for the idea that he’d forgotten what had happened. She could remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday. She remembered all of it, how he had suddenly come in between herself, her friends, and the massive hollow attacking them. Her soccer ball had barely left a mark on its mask. It had been the first time she’d really gotten a taste of her own futility. She never wanted to feel that way again. But they had become friends since then. Or at least acquaintances. Going to Granny’s house when he vacationed in the World of the Living, sharing a bowl of candied beans with him, even though she didn’t really like them. He had saved her again then, too.

“Karin-chan? Kariiiiinnn!” Yuzu was calling her name from the table. Karin jumped, coming out of her daze.

“Ah, sorry. I was thinking. What do you-“ Karin was cut off by the sound of her own stomach growling. Her face flushed in embarrassment. 

“Hungry?” Matsumoto called, smiling at her. “You’re probably going to end up just like your brother, Karin-chan.”

“What does my appetite have to do with Ichi-nii?!” She frowned.

“Rangiku-san!” Yuzu interrupted, leaping up from her seat. “Do you have anywhere to cook?!”

Matsumoto leaned forward, her grey eyes dancing with excitement. “Well, we have the kitchens! But, it’s right next to the mess hall…”

 

+++

 

An hour later, Toushiro was sitting at his desk again. He was pretending to do paperwork, but really, he was thinking about what Isshin had said to him. His former captain… 

Two members of his division passed by his window, talking loudly between themselves about their dinner. Toushiro tried to ignore them, but one of them said something that filled him with dread.

“Matsumoto-fukataichou should organize meals more often!”

Hitsugaya froze in place. What did they just say?

He stood slowly, doing his best to not appear like he was worried, but the last time Matsumoto had organized a meal, half of the division had ended up drunk. He vaguely remembered her claiming “sake was a listed ingredient” and groaned.

The doors of the mess hall stood open, which was unusual. And so, too, was the loud sound of conversation coming from the room. It seemed that most of the division was here. Oh no…

He leaned around the door, peeking in. The sight that met his eyes truly startled him. Everyone was eating and talking peacefully, all clearly enjoying themselves. He couldn’t quite see the kitchens from the door (curse his height), so Toushiro entered the room, leaning against the wall. The nearest shinigami greeted him with bows and respect, and he nodded in their direction, keeping a low profile for now.

At the kitchen end of the room, he saw them. A long table had been set up, which Karin and Matsumoto were manning. On it sat several bowls of noodles, steaming. There were steamed vegetables and rolls as well. It seemed that Karin and his lieutenant were enforcing the distribution of food, making sure no one took more than their fair share. He could see that the kitchens were busy, and suspected that Yuzu was behind the scenes, preparing the food with the team of shinigami that were supposed to be cooking tonight. He had known that she did the dinner chores when she was alive (when she was alive, what a strange thought), and he guessed that it was Matsumoto’s idea to continue that trend here.

He had to admit, he was impressed. The meal was certainly a big hit, and the cooking probably gave the two newcomers to Seireitei a sense of continuity and normalcy. And with Karin around, his lieutenant couldn’t get the whole division drunk. Toushiro knew that Karin would have killed her, if he didn’t do it himself first.

It made him happy to see his division united in this way. It had been awhile since they’d done any team-building missions. Maybe he would organize some? 

Lost in his thoughts, his eyes drifted to Karin again, who was busy shouting at a guy who had the balls to try and steal an extra roll. She was threatening him with a ladle, waving it around. Several others were laughing at the shinigami, who began apologizing profusely.

“Taichouuuuu,” Matsumoto called out suddenly. “You’re smiliiiing!”

Toushiro jumped and immediately fixed her with a glare as everyone in the division turned to look at him.

He sighed, folding his arms across his chest, and crossed the room towards the food. Conversations resumed as he walked; everyone seemed keen on their own meals rather than their lieutenant getting scolded, for once. 

He reached the table, picking up a plate.

“Looks good,” he said, adding some soba to his plate. 

“Tell that to the chef,” said Karin. “OY! YUZU! C’MERE!”

Yuzu appeared in the doorway, her brow furrowed. Toushiro frowned at Karin for putting him on the spot.

“Did you organize this meal?” 

“H-hai, Hitsugaya-kun.”

“It’s Hitsugaya-taichou here,” he replied, looking stern. Karin rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

“Sorry! Hai, Hitsugaya-taichou, um, I wanted to try out a recipe, and Rangiku-san said it was good, and then some shinigami tried it, and wanted me to make it for dinner, so. Um…”

Toushiro smiled, just barely. “Thank you, Kurosaki-san. It’s good to see everyone in such high spirits.”

Karin made a face at him. “That’s all you’re gonna say after scolding her? Not gonna talk about the food?”

“I haven’t even tried it yet!” he snapped. 

“Well what are you waiting for?” 

“Quit being a pain! I said thank you, didn’t I?!”

“You can call me Yuzu if you’d like! There are a lot of Kurosakis running around at the moment, Hitsugaya-taichou,” Yuzu said as she retreated to the kitchens with a giggle.

“Oy, Yuzu, what’s so funny?!” Karin was waving her ladle at the kitchen door. Toushiro took his chance, filling the rest of his plate, and he turned to leave. Thankfully no one else interfered, but he’d have to yell at Matsumoto later for that irritating smirk she was wearing.

“Enjoy your meal, taichou~!” Matsumoto called after him.

“Do your job!” he yelled back, flash-stepping to his office in search of some peace and quiet. Karin was right. The food was excellent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thoughts?? i've been thinking about who to pair yuzu with, or whether to pair her at all, and i'd love to hear suggestions! i'm currently leaning towards hisagi, but still, lemme know. again, updates are slow, i know and i'm sorry! gotta give myself a chance to get ahead though. 
> 
> next chapter: karin and yuzu make a big decision.


End file.
